Posted by Xnoubis on Monday May 22, @12:54PMfrom the curtain-calls dept.

Sir John Gielgud, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 20th century, died on Sunday, May 21, at the age of 96. While he will be remembered for many performances on the stage and in the cinema, for magicians, he is probably best known as Prospero, the central figure of The Tempest, a role he played and perfected throughout his life, culminating in the triumphant Peter Greenaway film, Prospero's Books. The film, an avant-garde marvel, was created from the beginning as a vehicle for Gielgud, who was consulted throughout its production as a way of bringing the depth of his interpretation to the screen. His performance brought out the allure and majesty of Renaissance Magick for all to see, and I, for one, will always be grateful.

He was one of my favorite actors, though not for the Shakespeare parts. I will have to take a look at these films.

He acted for only a few moments, to my dismay, in Elizabeth as the Devilish Pope in Rome. He layed out one of the most powerful lines in the movie, and he only had about three tries, so that's saying alot!:

"...And it is said that the Righteous shall inheirit the Earth..."

Only someone of his caliber could pull something off like that, suave-like and sinster, without sounding like a buffoon.

Here's to Sir Gielgud!! May he have Luck and Fun and Excitement in the Afterlife! And Peace eventually, when he tires of the Fun.
(Required raising of cup, I had to open a bottle! ;-})

Hey didn't he also play in Krull?
Bash me if I am wrong, but I think I remeber his face from that movie, missing an eye..???

Fans of Prospero's Books should know that Greenaway's new film, 8 1/2 Women, has just come out, and it looks promising. Having seen Battlefield Earth and Mission: Impossible 2 in the same month, I'm ready for something intelligent!

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